The Unstoppable Laura Aarts: Dutch Waterpolo's Golden Goalie

Laura Aarts didn't come from a waterpolo family or even dream about the sport growing up. "It was a coincidence actually that I get to know what is waterpolo," she said. It wasn't until age 11 when a teammate invited her football team to try waterpolo that she discovered her true calling. Immediately falling in love with the physicality and competitiveness, Laura pleaded with her parents: "I went straight to my parents after this practice that I want to play waterpolo."
 Laura claims that starting at 11 is considered ‘late’, as many young girls are already full immersed in waterpolo at 5, even though it’s not a big sport in Holland.  Due to her background in judo, and being a dominant goalie in football, Laura knew that she had the skillset to thrive in this niche sport:  
“I was a goalie at the football, so not scared of the balls or anything, just very playful and, uh, yeah, a little bit rough because I did judo, so the wrestling part and fighting for the ball, it was not a problem either.”

What makes Laura such a defensive force is her rare blend of physical talents and mental acuity. "You have to be strong, you have to be fast, and you have to be smart. And you have to see, you have to have the view of the game," she said. With the build of an elite swimmer, the grit of a judoka, and the fearlessness of a goalkeeper, she has the complete toolbox to dominate in the intense waters of waterpolo. But it's her brilliant mind for strategy and tactics that elevates her game to world-class levels. "I'm speaking a lot. If they are blocking for example, I have to tell them that go to the left, go to the right," Laura quarterbacked.

As a goalie, Laura has to do egg-beaters to keep herself afloat during the game, as she is sadly not allowed to hang on to any part of the pool or goal during a contest. In a waterpolo game that has four by eight minute quarters, keeping your head above water isn’t the only thing players have to worry about. Despite being submerged in water, players expend incredible energy and easily get dehydrated. "It's a really, really difficult sport because you are in the water and every single body part of you is moving and you're fighting and it is kind of warm," Laura said. To combat this, the Dutch trainers offer the women isotonic drinks and even eat jellies between quarters: "We have jellies, like it's full of isotonic sugar and carbs, for us to take in and hydrate us.” And yes, some of them do pee in the pools during matches, it’s part of the game. 

Waterpolo may be played in the pool, but it's one of the most physical, combat-like sports around. As Laura describes, pretty much anything goes when fighting for the ball: "If your opponent has the ball in her hand, you can actually do almost everything. Like you can pull on the swimsuit, you can try to grab on the arm and everything just to get the ball."
She reveals some of the dirtiest moves: "A really dirty move is when two people are swimming next to each other and they kick up the elbow right in front of the face. It's something you don't really see so often, but it can happen." Laura herself has used some unintentional headbutts: 
"Sometimes I save it with my head. Okay, sometimes not on purpose.”

Video analysis and prep work are huge parts of the Dutch team's approach. "We use a lot of video and we even analyze it and make a big document of players," Laura said. This allows them to gameplan for opponents' tendencies: "We know which players are the fast swimmers or the good shooters.” During games, the referee video review system provides a new level of fairness: "This is something really great because sometimes the balls really go so fast. And the referees cannot see because it goes too fast.” she said. Tech is an emerging key in all sports, as is AI, as waterpolo looks to expand on competitor analysis.